I've been lusting after a George Nelson wall unit, a common sight at my favorite interior design sources. With a beautiful wood finish and a design that is both functional and modular, it just knocks it out on a lot of fronts. The price however, at anywhere from $2k-$4k, is also a knockout. Luckily, there's a new solution I just spotted on IKEA Hackers. It looks so great I may just have to try it myself.
This simple hack was constructed from IKEA's STOLMEN system -- which unimaginatively only comes in white on white.
The clever owner behind this mod simply painted the white rods black with spray paint, and then used real wood from the lumber store for shelving and a desk.
"I cut/sand/tint in teak color/varnished each part from one 5' x 5' cherry wood board bought at a local shop. I made them a kind of back to avoid the books from falling off since it was going to be used as a room divider."
I haven't tried purchasing a STOLMEN system yet, but I think you can buy the poles separately for a budget-friendly solution. If you're putting things on your list for the cleanse, this midcentury hack may just deserve some consideration.
Make the classic your inspiration...
(Images: 1,3. IKEA Hackers 2. IKEA 4. 1st Dibs)
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Nice! Since the hacker invested in some quality materials in terms of the wood used for the shelving, I wonder how much it would cost to get the polls sandblasted and property recoated black, just for longevity's sake. It would be a shame to have the polls start flaking after a few years when this unit looks so nice.
This post could not have been more timely! I was just thinking about the STOLMEN as an alternative! You can purchase the poles separately, and at $30 a piece they are very budget friendly.
I've actually done something similar to this with some book shelves I managed to find on clearance at Walmart. They are surprisingly sturdy and look better than they should considering how cheap they were.
Very nice! Don't forget to check the "as is" section at Ikea also; you might be able to get some stuff very cheaply
Anyone have any thought on this working as a standing desk. I am interested in the hack above and want a standing desk, this looks like it may be a winner :)
Hey that's my unit!
For now the paint is not going away, but I think the best would have been to use that epoxy spray paint i saw after at Home depot, since the poles are epoxy coated themself. otherwise the fun thing about that unit is that we also use it as a room divider between bedroom and «work place». the pictures don't really pay justice but thanks guys for your comments! And, indeed it ended up waaaaayyy much cheaper than the units they sell in those vintage shop, but it took a lot of time to build, since I had to cut, veneer, tint and varnish the wood...
Gorgeous! I really think I'll try it, but I might have the lumbar yard cut the boards. I've heard that auto painting places will do furniture and other things. Does anyone know anything about that?